Letter in CB helps, again
Letter in CB helps, again
Your posting of my request for information resulted in a personal letter from attorney Robert V. Hogan, Glenview IL, who served in 393 Regt. 3rd Bn, Hq Co, communications platoon as the radio section chief, and who knew Leonard Sharbaugh personally.
This truly is remarkable and I want to thank you for posting the request and Hogan for his response. The information I received will enable us to determine pretty close to where Leonard G. Sharbaugh was killed in action. We will go to the 99th Infantry Museum at Pittsburgh, and the Army War College Library, Carlisle PA, to see if we can locate some situation maps for Dec. 21, 1944, regarding Leonard's company/platoon.
Charles K. Criste
State College PA
Hogan's letter Mr. Criste
I am responding to your inquiry in the Checkerboard about Leonard Sharbaugh, who was killed on Dec. 21, 1944. The foxhole, which he was sharing with Charles Vaughn, who also was killed on that date, received a direct hit from German artillery.
Leonard was a member of the radio section of the communication platoon of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 393rd Infantry Regiment. I was communication chief of that platoon.
I will always remember Leonard and Charles Vaughn. I was occupying a nearby foxhole about 25 yards from the one occupied by Leonard and Vaughn.
After reading your letter, I was in touch with Jim Angert, who also was a member of the radio section. At the time, Jim was some distance away with the battalion commander. Jim was unable to get any response from Leonard and Vaughn; it was only later that he learned of their death.
Our unit was on Elsenborn Ridge at the time. As I do not have any maps or overlays, I am unable to give you any more precise location. However, our association does have a research group which has possession of maps and overlays of the battlefield area. I will contact this research group for more specific information as to our location on Dec. 21, 1944.
I recall Leonard as a good soldier and a good radio operator.
Robert Hogan
